Where are The Block contestants now?

• This article was first published in November 2020

There’s no doubt the juggernaut that is The Block can have a life-changing impact on contestants. 

Not only is there the opportunity to bag $100,000 in winners’ prize money and any profits from auction day, but the renovating show is often a launchpad for former Blockheads.

While some embrace their 15 minutes of fame and then return to their former jobs, others have embarked on successful new careers in interior design, construction and fashion. 

We take a look back and see where some of the past stars of the show are now.

Steph and Gian (season 19)

Sydney couple Steph and Gian took home a life-changing $1.75 million in prize money – the highest amount ever awarded – when they won The Block in 2023.

The couple have been busy since filming wrapped, selling the Bexley home that featured in their audition tape and launching their own homewares brand, Japandi Estate – a collection inspired by the Japanese-Scandinavian aesthetic they were known for on the show.

Keep an eye out for their episode recaps on Domain this year. The duo are also expected to appear as special guests on this season of The Block.

Eliza and Liberty (season 19)

Sisters Eliza and Liberty were the runners-up on season 19, pocketing $1.05 million in profit on their Charming Street home, which was recently re-sold.

Since appearing on the show, ‘the girls’ have launched a podcast, Try Before You Die, about having new experiences, and went on a journey to wind back their biological clocks on Channel Nine’s Do You Want To Live Forever.

The fan favourites are returning to The Block as special guests this year and will be sharing their thoughts with Domain as the series unfolds.

Tom and Sarah-Jane (season 18)

Despite having the most viewed listing in the lead-up to The Block 2022 auctions, Tom and Sarah-Jane lost out to Omar and Oz on the day, taking home just $20,000.99 in prize money.

The married couple from Melbourne didn’t let the disappointing result dampen their enthusiasm for renovating. They revamped their caravan soon after the show finished, Tom returned to The Block as its resident plumber last year, and they are set to appear as guests in the upcoming season.

The pair welcomed their second child Drew in October and Sarah-Jane teamed up with fellow Block alum Rachel Carr to launch a podcast, I Just Can’t.

Mitch and Mark (seasons 15 and 17)

Vibrant, sophisticated, and effortlessly cool, Mitch and Mark went from 5th place in 2019 to taking out the win in 2021. The reigning champs took home an impressive $744,444.44 in winnings, adding to their previous season’s $384,000 profit.

Their big win paved the way for two major projects – opening their homeware store, Mitch and Mark Home, in Newport on Sydney’s northern beaches, and getting started on their own dream home reno. No strangers to having Aussies watching their handiwork, they’re documenting the journey on Instagram.

The couple also took on the role of co-hosts of the revamped Location, Location, Location last year.

Tanya and Vito (season 17)

After being at the centre of the cheating scandal that rocked The Block, season 17’s most controversial couple, Tanya and Vito, have stayed away from the drama.

Tanya has continued her work as a makeup artist and her partnership with The Block Shop on the prints that made the couple’s house sing during the season. She has also kept her inbox open for art commissions for anyone seeking her signature pops of colour in their own homes, and launched her own podcast, Let’s talk about it with Tanya.

Ronnie and Georgia (seasons 13 and 17)

With the title of most awarded pair in Block history for both challenges and room reveals, Ronnie and Georgia walked away from season 17 with an extra $296,000 in the bank.

Off the back of their first season, the couple appeared as co-hosts of their own web renovation series, Quick Room Flips, as well as the 9Life show Dream Homes Revealed Australia.

More recently, Ronnie appeared on Celebrity Apprentice, making it to third place. The couple also hosted Channel Nine’s House Hunt Dilemma and transformed a 1950s home, documenting the process on their YouTube channel.

Rachel and Ryan (season 18)

Sydneysiders Rachel and Ryan got a last-minute call-up for The Block in 2022 when Bondi couple Joel and Elle suddenly quit just three days into filming.

While their home passed in at auction, a swift sale post-auction saw the couple take home $169,000.50 in prize money – the second-highest amount pocketed by contestants in the season.

Since handing over the keys to their freshly renovated Gisborne home, the parents of three have been busy. Along with running their renovation company R&R Design Co., Rachel teamed up with Sarah-Jane Calleja on a podcast, I Just Can’t. They also sold their renovated Oyster Bay family home earlier this year.

Josh and Luke (season 17)

Fans Josh and Luke had never renovated a property before joining the 2021 season of The Block. The boys came in second place, with a cool $530,000 to boot.

Since then, both have taken turns heading into the celebrity boxing ring, with Luke winning against The Bachelorette star Shannon Karaka in the Pretender to Contender charity match.

Luke welcomed baby Mia in 2022 and married his partner Olivia in January last year. Meanwhile, Josh went from contestant to host, hosting Australia’s Best Pools with Block landscape designer, Dave Franklin.

The Hampton house renovated by the brothers on The Block recently hit the market for the first time since the televised auction.

Kirsty and Jesse (season 17)

From one of The Block’s biggest-ever houses to a number 1 hit album, Kirsty and Jesse know how to go big.

Since finishing up on their beautiful Hamptons-style home on the show, the pair have gotten back on the tools to renovate their own Lake Macquarie home, all while launching The Kirsty and Jesse Podcast, and returning to their day jobs. Jesse has continued his music video production business, and Kirsty is back on her country groove. Her 2022 album, Wild, hit the coveted number 1 spot on the Aria Country Charts the week after its release.

The couple are also part of a new country music trio, Rhinestoned, and launched their own interior property styling and staging business, Feels Like Home, last year.

Jimmy and Tam (season 16)

The Season 16 winners have been on fire lately, in more ways than one.

Since winning The Block, Jimmy has fulfilled another dream, joining the Queensland Fire and Emergency Service as a firefighter. Tam went on to open her very own homewares store, nestled in their Noosa hometown of Pomona. Velzy Lane opened in September 2021 and exudes the mid-century, boho, and eclectic style the pair were known for during their season.

In July 2021, the pair purchased their first family home with their daughter Frankie. They’ve since busied themselves in renovating and designing the character home, while also taking part in 9Life show, Renovate or Rebuild.

Keep an eye out for the couple on this season of The Block, where they’re set to make a guest appearance.

Josh and Elyse (season 13)

Elyse Knowles was one of the most high-profile personalities to appear on The Block. The model and her carpenter partner Josh appeared on the show in 2017 and pocketed a cool $547,000 after selling the home to comedian Dave Hughes.

Since their winning stint on the program, the pair sold their renovated home in Melbourne’s Coburg before moving to Byron Bay in 2019, and have since welcomed two sons, Sunny and Zaii.

Visited Betty’s Burgers in Byron Bay? You might recognise Josh and Elyse’s handiwork in the fit-out, courtesy of their building and design company, J & E Projects, launched in 2020.

Kyal and Kara (season 8)

Nicknamed the ‘Super Ks’, Central Coast couple Kyal and Kara have been busy since they made their Block debut on season 8 of the show, where they took home a huge $567,250 in prize money.

The couple have welcomed two children, Ziya and Vada, launched their own homewares brand Kyal & Kara Homewares, and completed more than 35 renovations, including a guest house at Toowoon Bay and their own family home on the NSW Central Coast.

The pair recently undertook one of their biggest projects yet – building two mirror-image new homes on the NSW Central Coast. The project, dubbed Bay Builds, was documented on their YouTube Channel, and we followed the journey on Domain.

Kyal and Kara are one of several past teams set to return as guests on The Block’s 20th season.

Matt and Kim (season 7)

They’re probably most well-known for the artistic flair they showed in The Block Sky High season, after judge Neale Whitaker dubbed their Jackson Pollock-inspired bedroom a “crime scene”. The renovated apartment in South Melbourne nabbed the pair a $250,000 profit and hit the market for the second time in 2020, selling for $1.9 million.

The Perth-based couple have since toned down their garish style, launching a highly successful concrete business Nood Co., specialising in bathroom basins and furniture – everything from coffee and dining tables to mirrors and sofas.

The company has gone from strength to strength, expanding to stockists in the USA, Europe and Asia. You may have also spied the chic sinks on the past few seasons of The Block, with many teams featuring the hand-made basins throughout their homes.

Josh and Jenna (seasons 4 and 6)

They’re the couple that got engaged on national television back in 2011, and have not looked back since their shock loss in season 4.

Interior designer Jenna and plumber Josh have gone on to renovate 10 properties; launch an online design consulting agency, Plan Proofing; and Jenna founded Design School, an accredited interior design school offering courses, masterclasses and workshops to anyone keen to learn the craft.

In 2021, they sold their gorgeous North Melbourne cottage and embarked on their very own tree change with daughters Freddie and Story. The self-proclaimed “serial renovators” have been documenting the building and renovation process of their new home in Rutherglen, Victoria – dubbed ‘The Castle House’ – on their Instagram and YouTube.

Michael and Carlene (season 9)

Block fans held their breath ahead of Michael and Carlene’s auction in 2014, and shared in the disappointment as the couple clocked a meagre $10,000 profit on their apartment in Prahran.

 Ten years on from the Glasshouse season, and the couple have appeared in another Channel Nine renovation show Reno Rumble (again tasting disappointment after being booted out in week one) before taking on hosting duties on Ready, Set, Reno and Open Homes Australia. 

Together, interior stylist Carlene and licensed builder and qualified carpenter Michael launched Cedar + Suede, a home design and construction service, and renovated their own family home in Queensland’s Tallebudgera.

Not content with limiting the reno projects to established homes, the duo also unleash their signature style on vintage caravans, documenting the process on the Instagram handle @thisoldvan. Carlene has recently been sharing her wisdom with Domain, writing about all things home styling, trends and design. 

Alisa and Lysandra (seasons 7 and 8)

These stylish sisters and former cops first appeared on our screens in 2013, taking out the win on The Block Sky High and returned the following year to appear on Fans v Faves.

In 2014, the pair launched Alisa and Lysandra Interiors, working on both residential and commercial projects. In 2017, they purchased a heritage-listed 1890s Victorian terrace in Melbourne’s swanky Albert Park and documented the renovation process for their online design series, The Design Duo. Last year’s season saw the sisters splitting to renovate their properties individually. 

If that wasn’t enough, 2020 saw the business-savvy sisters launch a personal care range in the midst of a global pandemic. Al.ive Body offers Australian-made hand sanitiser, hand wash and moisturisers. The chic products can be seen in many of the bathrooms on The Block.

Tess and Luke (season 15)

It’s no secret the married couple struggled throughout their time on The Block, renovating a large terraced home in St Kilda. They won the least amount of rooms throughout the season, so when the pair took out first place and pocketed a whopping $730,000, it was a win no one saw coming, not even the duo themselves.

Since leaving Melbourne, the couple returned to Cairns and are working on building their dream home, sharing the entire process on Instagram. They welcomed baby Cleo in April 2021 and their second child Mack in April this year.

Steve and Chantelle (season 8)

The couple appeared on the Fans v Faves season up against Alisa and Lysandra and Kyal and Kara and, while renovating rookies, they walked away with $736,000 and first-place bragging rights.

They split after the show and Steve returned to his job as a chimney sweep (making a surprise appearance in 2019’s show to help Matt and El’ise). Chantelle went on to found Ford Millinery, specialising in hand-crafted hats, fascinators and head pieces. The classy headwear has been worn by a raft of celebs, including Nadia Bartel, Kelly Rowland, Jen Hawkins and Delta Goodrem.

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